The Alphabet Challenge (2)
by Slivering
Summary: 26 ficlets for 26 letters. - CHALLENGE COMPLETED -
1. Allowed

**Alphabet**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.**

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**XXX**

**Allowed**

**XXX**

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She rested a rosy cheek on his shoulder, accepting the coffee from his hands. Every one of her fingers warmed from the touch and she brought it to her lips to take a sip. "Thank you, Ryoma-kun."

Ryoma stiffened, then relaxed beside her. They were sitting in the park together, bodies pressed against each other in the cold winter afternoon. "It's no big deal." He said casually, kicking white snow with his tennis shoe.

She giggled, scooting over closer on the bench they shared. "I can't believe it's snowing. _Finally._ I've been waiting forever."

"Hm."

"And it's almost Christmas too! I have so many postcards and presents to make."

"Yup."

Sakuno watched his unreadable expression and smiled, the corners of her lips lifting. She pressed her furry mitten against his nose, tweaking it.

"Hey!" Ryoma protested, sliding away.

Sakuno laughed, her face flushing and the sound filling the air and drifting towards the sky. "You need to talk more."

Ryoma pulled the brim of his cap down, speaking over the street cars. "There's nothing to talk about."

"What about Christmas? Is your brother coming home for the holidays?"

"Che."

Sakuno fiddled with her braid. "Or- or how about your birthday? It's on Christmas Eve. Are you excited about turning thirteen?"

"Not really."

"Well, what about – what about presents? What do you want this year?"

"I don't know."

Sakuno frowned, the sunlight making her eyes glow. Her mitten-clad hands clenched and unclenched. "Ryoma-kun…" her voice was a whisper. She leaned in, her breath tasting like homemade cookies against his ear. "What do _you _want to talk about, then?"

He swallowed thickly. "Uh…"

She looked at him expectantly. He pulled his cap down further. Her lips looked so soft and plush and kissable up close – he could feel tingles running through his body, desire creeping in his throat.

"Do I have to _talk _to you?"

Sakuno titled her head. "What do you mean-"

Ryoma interrupted her, his words melting in the air like snowflakes. "Am I – am I allowed to kiss you?"

His voice was low, his hands trembling.

Sakuno giggled as a snowflake landed on her nose.

"You don't need permission, Ryoma-kun. You're _always _allowed."

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**XXX**


	2. Blue

**XXX**

**Blue**

**XXX**

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Her slender fingers stroked his cheek.

"You'll be okay, Ryoma-kun." She said, tilting her head and pulling her hand away. She smiled warmly, but it was laced with fear. The boy in front of her was shivering violently, even though he was now layered and layered with blankets. "I can't believe they just left you out in that snow blizzard…"

Her voice was bitter, even though she knew it wasn't the regulars' fault. They hadn't even realized Ryoma had gotten separated during the winter resort trip, and it clearly wasn't their fault that the weather chose just that time to bring in a blizzard.

Dressed only in his tennis uniform, Ryoma was frozen.

Sakuno rubbed his cold hands with her warm ones. His fingers trembled and she squeezed them tightly. "I was so worried…" she said, watching his head loll as he slept, his pale face slowly, gradually regaining colour. His lips were still blue.

A grin swept across her features. "But I know you'll be okay now…I'll take care of you…"

Ryoma shook, rolling over and subconsciously pulling the blankets tighter around his body.

"And I'll make you nice and cozy."

His chest rose and fell delicately as he took each breath.

"And safe."

Ryoma bent his knees to keep his toes under the warmth of the wool-knitted blankets.

Sakuno casted her innocent gaze upon him.

"And I'll love you until you're warm."

She bristled, her eyes widening. Satisfaction swelled in her heart.

His hands had finally stopped trembling.

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**XXX**


	3. Copy

**XXX**

**Copy**

**XXX**

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"And so then, I went and got a really nice dress from the mall, just so I could show it off for you! How does that sound, Ryoma-sama? Ryoma-sama? Isn't it great Ryoma-sama-"

"Shut up for a minute."

"H-huh?"

"…why…why _are _you talking so much?"

"Ah…ano…well…"

"And you don't need to say Ryoma-_sama_, geez. It's Ryoma, or Echizen."

"Demo…I…"

"Seriously, Sakuno. I thought you were different."

Sakuno fiddled with her braid, sheepishly rocking on the heels of her feet. "Well, I – I just…I wanted…I was trying to copy Tomo-chan!"

"_Why_?"

"Uh…why?" her cheeks flushed. "I thought…if I copied how she acted…then I would get your attention."

"Hm."

"I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm doing."

"Obviously."

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Gomensai."

"Just…just…" he sounded so pained.

"Just what?" Sakuno asked miserably.

"Why…_Tomo-chan_?"

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**XXX**


	4. Dawn

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**Dawn**

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It was at the wake of dawn, just before the sun rose over the hilly fields of Japan, that Sakuno awoke. Still sported in bright cotton pajamas and her hair long and free from braids, she crawled into Ryoma's room.

His bed was illuminated with pale shafts of filtering sunlight, spilling off his blankets and lighting up the floor. Sakuno tiptoed over, anticipation swelling in her chest.

"Ryoma-kun." She whispered softly, a delicate blush spreading over her cheeks. "Good morning."

Ryoma was buried under blankets, his face looking small against the size of the bed. Glinting cheeks, fluttering eyelashes, and dark hair greeted the girl. Her heart raced.

_I never knew he could look so adorable…_

"Karu…" Ryoma's voice broke the silence. Sakuno snapped her head up, surprised.

"Don't…Karu…don't bite Sakuno-chan…she's on our side…" he mumbled in his sleep, rolling over on his side and curling the blankets tighter around his body. "No…Sakuno…"

Sakuno's bright eyes lit up.

_So she was in Ryoma's dreams, huh?_


	5. Extra

**XXX**

**Extra**

**XXX**

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Sakuno shifted her weight. "R-ryoma-kun…why…why would you choose me as your partner when you could have been with Momo-senpai or Kikumaru-senpai…"

"…well, why not?"

"Demo…I'm not even…I'm just Sakuno. You'll be bored."

"I picked _you_, geez. If you don't want to be my partner, than just say so."

"Ah…no! It's just…I mean, you never give me much attention…I've always been a…"

"A what?"

Sakuno's cheeks flushed. "An _extra_."

"…"

Sakuno stumbled over her words. "Of course, that's c-completely fine – I'm not even good at tennis, so of course you wouldn't really give me any attent-"

"Sakuno?"

"Y-yes…?"

"You're not an extra."

"Ano…"

"Seriously. _Horio_ is an extra. I'm not going to dump you into the same category as _him._"

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**XXX**


	6. Fire

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**Fire**

**XXX**

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Up in the air, with his tennis racket held out for a smash, Ryoma looked like he was on fire. The passion burned in his eyes, coursing through his lungs and entire body. His skin was illuminated from the spilling sunlight, making his body appear to be glowing. The smirk on his face was so vivid, vibrant and heated. He was truly, _truly _on fire.

Sakuno giggled, staring at the picture frame admiringly. "Ryoma-kun, you really were on fire that day," she said to her husband.

Ryoma grumbled, "I still can't believe you took a picture of me during my match with Rikkaidai."

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**XXX**


	7. Gamble

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**Gamble**

**XXX**

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Sakuno watched in horror as the scene played in front of her, clutching her sweater to her chest in concern. _Why does Ryoma-kun always get himself in trouble? _Her fingers bunched tightly around her plate of cookies. She had planned to deliver them to her boyfriend for a quick snack, but obviously that wasn't going to happen.

"C'mon," the tall, cocky high school boy tapped Ryoma's shoulder with his racket. "Just play a match with me. _One _match, that's all."

Ryoma didn't even flinch. "No."

"Why? You scared you'll lose? Runnin' away?"

Ryoma locked his eyes with him. "No. I'm not running away. You said that if I lose, you get a 'fun night' with my girlfriend."

The boy laughed loudly. "So? If you were confident in your skills, you wouldn't care-"

Ryoma cut him off coldly. "It's not about confidence."

He swung his racket over his shoulder and started to walk away. As he reached the baseline, he looked and spat, "I'm not going to _gamble _my girlfriend."

With that fierce statement, he walked over to Sakuno, snatched a cookie from her plate, and stormed out of the tennis courts.

Sakuno blinked, before hurriedly chasing after him, a giggle threatening to escape her lips.

_So Ryoma-kun __could__ get ticked off after all…._

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**XXX**


	8. Home

**XXX**

**Home**

**XXX**

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"Let me walk you home."

Sakuno's muscles tensed as rain continued to collide onto her skin. She was drenched from head to toe, her wet clothes clinging to her body. "I don't know," she mumbled politely. "I wouldn't want to trouble you."

"Just let me. You're soaked. It's dark."

"Yeah, but…" she chewed on her lower lip. "My house is all the way in the opposite direction of yours…"

Ryoma inwardly sighed, a raindrop sliding down his nose. "I don't mind."

Sakuno fiddled with her braid that was starting to untie itself. She stubbornly refused his offer. "It's not necessary." She repeated. "I mean, for you to walk me home."

Ryoma clenched his fist. "Well, I _want _to, then."

A blush blanketed over her cheeks and she looked at the muddy ground in discomfort.

A tight frown crept onto Ryoma's lips. "What's wrong? Why won't you let me walk you home?"

Sakuno shrugged half-heartedly. "Ano…I mean, I'm already at home." She explained.

Ryoma blinked, confused.

"At home, right here, with you. That's my home."

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**XXX**


	9. Internet

**XXX**

**Internet**

**XXX**

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"We're all over the internet." Ryoma stated, his voice betraying the horror he actually felt. Sakuno lifted her head from his shoulder and glanced lazily at the laptop he was holding. Her eyes widened instantly. A blush edged onto her face.

"Oh no," she whispered.

Ryoma swallowed thickly. "It's when we were on that date…"

Sakuno was turning pale. "The one…"

"…Yeah, that one."

The picture confirmed what they already knew. It was an image on Facebook of Ryoma and Sakuno sitting on a bench, arms tangled with each as they had an intense make out session.

Sakuno's face flushed deeper. "But why – who could have took a picture?"

Silence.

The couple glanced at each other.

"Fuji-senpai."

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**XXX**


	10. Jam

**XXX**

**Jam**

**XXX**

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_Ring, Ring, Ring._

Sakuno bit her lip as her phone rang. Glancing at the empty seat in front of her, she frowned, before picking the call up. "Hello?" she asked. A small sigh escaped her lips.

"Sakuno?"

The familiar voice startled Sakuno, but her expression quickly changed to anger. Instantly, her eyes went aflame. Ire swelled in her stomach.

"Ryoma-kun! Where are you? I've been waiting forever in this stupid restaurant by myself because you _promised_ me a date at 6:00 and now it's 6:30 and you _still aren't here_. Baka!"

Ryoma stared at the phone. Where had his stuttering, shy Sakuno gone to?

"Explain yourself!" Sakuno roared.

Ryoma winced.

"Uh, traffic jam."

Silence. Then, a small 'oh.'

"O-omigosh, R-ryoma-kun…gomensai, g-gomensai…please forgive m-me-"

Ryoma chuckled. His stuttering, shy Sakuno was back.

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**XXX**


	11. Klutz

**XXX**

**Klutz**

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Sakuno was a klutz.

I knew that for a fact, being her boyfriend and all. I wasn't exactly sure _why_ she was klutz, though. Was it that hard to stand on both feet steadily without tripping over yourself? Maybe it was Tomo-chan's influence or something.

Anyway, the point was, Sakuno was a klutz. _She _was the one who fell flat on her face every time she tried to return my twist serve. _She _was the one who dropped her lunch all over the cafeteria floor whenever she was nervous. _She_ was the one who hit her head against a wall because she slid on a banana peel.

It was _she _who was the klutz.

So then _why_ was it, that today, in the middle of the whole school, _I_ was the one sprawled at the bottom of the stairwell after losing my balance, _not her_.

"Ryoma-kun?" her anxious voice approached me. "Are you alright?"

"No." I grumbled, utterly humiliated. "You're rubbing off on me."

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**XXX**


	12. Lamppost

**XXX**

**Lamppost**

**XXX**

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"Whoever decided to do this was really stupid."

"Completely stupid."

"I mean, seriously, putting _that _under a lamppost?"

"Exactly! So many people walk past lampposts. There are _way _too many victims."

"And it's so high up, that innocent passerby's like us wouldn't even _notice _until it was too late."

"God, whoever thought of doing that was really stupid."

"I mean, now we're left with no choice."

"Geez."

"Yup, geez."

Ryoma tilted his head up, before glancing at Sakuno. "I mean, _seriously_. Who hangs mistletoe on a lamppost?"

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**XXX**


	13. Midnight

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**Midnight**

**XXX**

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She found him playing tennis in stark midnight, sweat beaded on his forehead as he ran back and forth, smacking the ball against the wall. His grunts and heaves were heard, but he was still smooth; graceful as a swan.

Sakuno put her hands behind her back, rocking on her heels. She simply watched him.

He ran to the left side, swinging his racket hard. "What're you doing here?"

She winced at his rough tone and guilt rose in her throat. Tilting her head, she let the night wind blow through her hair, her heart ringing in her ears. He was playing tennis at midnight – that meant he had a lot on his mind and he couldn't sleep.

She hated that she was the reason why he wasn't sleeping.

She hated that she had been the one to hurt him, when everyone assumed that if one of them was to get hurt, it would be her.

She hated that someone who never, ever cried, had cried last night.

"I'm just watching." She finally answered, swallowing thickly. "Is that okay?"

"Doesn't matter to me."

And they were back to how they were at the very beginning – simply acquaintances, almost strangers, with nothing but the same school connecting them together.

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**XXX**


	14. Nibbling

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**Nibbling**

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Ryoma couldn't help but notice that Sakuno was eating very _slowly._ Actually, she was barely even eating. She was more like nibbling. Her pizza, which she'd had in front of her for almost fifteen minutes, was only chewed at the very front.

"Um, Sakuno…" Ryoma averted his eyes to the ground. "Aren't you going to eat?"

Sakuno snapped out of her daydream to see Ryoma staring at her, trying, but failing to hide his concern. Her hands twisted under her lap nervously. "W-what do y-you mean Ryoma-kun?"

Ryoma narrowed his eyes. "You're barely eating."

"Oh, um, that's r-ridiculous. Look, I've ate a bit. I'm just taking my t-time."

Ryoma stared harder. "Are you sure?"

Sakuno flushed, fidgeting in her chair. "Well…um…actually…"

"Actually?"

"I'm on a diet!" Sakuno blurted, before clapping a hand over her mouth. Her cheeks turned red and she slouched in her chair. "Gomensai."

Ryoma ignored her non-needed apology. "A diet?" he asked, his mouth hanging open slightly. "_Why_? You're not even fat."

Sakuno would have fainted from the compliment if she wasn't so embarrassed. "Ano…it's not…actually for me. I'm dieting, um, to keep Tomo-chan company."

"Keep Tomo-chan company-" Ryoma trailed off, his eyes glancing over to the seat next to Sakuno.

Sure enough, the loud-mouthed Ryoma-sama cheerleader was nibbling as well.

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**XXX**


	15. Open

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**Open**

**XXX**

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Ryoma frantically thought of how he should mention it. It wasn't exactly something boys said to preteen girls, out of embarrassment and fear of the girl bursting into humiliated tears. So, at the thought of trying to tell Sakuno about it, he fidgeted uncomfortably.

His eyes darted towards her, then back to his own lap. Ugh, why did this have to be so hard?

"S-Sakuno?" he couldn't believe he was stuttering.

The shy, braided-hair girl tilted her head from her math textbook, her pencil clenched between her fingers. "Ryoma-kun?" she said, surprised. "What is it?"

Ryoma blushed, looking away.

"Um, your fly is open."

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**XXX**


	16. Pink

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**Pink**

**XXX**

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Sakuno stared at Ryoma in shock, her plush lips parting, her eyebrows rising, and her jaw dropping. "Oh…my."

"What is it…?"

"It's…this is unbelievable…" Sakuno's brown eyes stared hard at his face.

"Um…"

"I can't believe…" she muttered, "…Ryoma-kun can…"

"What can't you believe? Sakuno, what's going on?"

Sakuno's mouth stayed open. "It's just that…you're…"

"…"

"You're blushing!"

And sure enough, Ryoma's cheeks were rosy pink. And they turned even pinker the moment she said that.

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**XXX**


	17. Quietly

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**Quietly**

**XXX**

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"We have to be quiet." Sakuno whispered to her husband as they walked into the living room. Ryoma shot her a look that said 'am I _ever _loud?' before nodding brusquely. She smiled, slipping her hand into his and squeezing it excitedly.

They tip toed towards the corner of the room, fingers entwined. Sakuno's heart swelled and her cheeks flushed happily. Ryoma had a rare, warm smile on his face.

They approached the small crib centered at the edge of the room, brightened by the spilling sunlight.

"Hey there, little guy." Sakuno leaned over, grinning at the adorable baby squirming in its crib. "Looks like he's awake."

"Gah…" the baby mumbled, sucking on his thumb while waving his free hand around wildly.

"Is he trying to swing a racket?" Ryoma asked, amused.

Sakuno rolled her eyes. "Everything you see has to relate to tennis, huh?"

Ryoma shrugged, before smiling down at the baby. He lowered his tone to a whisper and spoke softly, "One day, he'll be like me too. Conquering the world."

"GAHHH!"

Sakuno giggled. "Except maybe not as quietly."

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**XXX**


	18. Rest

**XXX**

**Rest**

**XXX**

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"You need to _stop_."

Ryoma froze, his tennis racket mid-swing, his knees half-bent in preparation for a shot. The ball whizzed past him and hit the fence, before tumbling onto the court ground. He had never heard Sakuno sound so determined; angry; demanding.

Tiredly, he wiped sweat from his brow and stumbled over to her. "What?" he asked, annoyed that she had interrupted his practicing.

Sakuno recoiled at his tone, but quickly glared at him. "You need to _stop._ It's going too far. You've been practicing way too much lately, pushing yourself, yes – but you're pushing yourself _too _far."

Ryoma frowned. "That doesn't concern you."

"No, it _does _concern me. You're my friend, whether you reciprocate that or not. And you've been killing yourself, so that needs to stop."

"I'm not-"

Sakuno put her hands on her hips. "Ever since Tezuka beat you, you keep overexerting yourself."

Ryoma's eyes flamed. "That's not why-"

"It _is._" Sakuno said firmly. Her eyes softened and she grabbed his hand. "You're tired. You need to rest."

Ryoma stared at her fingers entwined in his and nodded dumbly. "O-okay, maybe just for today."

And she dragged him back to his house, their hands never letting go.

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**XXX**


	19. Simple

**XXX**

**Simple**

**XXX**

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"It really is simple."

"No, it's not."

"It really is. Really, _really _simple."

"No, it really is not."

"It's simple."

"No."

Yes."

"No."

"_Yes_."

Sakuno giggled. It really was quite funny that the great tennis prodigy Ryoma Echizen had trouble learning something as simple as ice skating. And watching him fall and get frustrated was even more fun.

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**XXX**


	20. Talkative

**XXX**

**Talkative**

**XXX**

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"You know, sometimes I wonder what would happen if I married Tomo-chan, not you."

Sakuno glanced up from the scarf she was knitting and stared at her husband in disbelief. Then, what he had said ran through her mind and she laughed loudly. Putting down her needle, she grinned, "You'd have probably lost your hearing by now."

Ryoma nodded. "I'd probably have lost my sanity, too."

"And you'd probably have to wear exactly what Tomo-chan tells you to wear."

"Oh, and she'd probably burn my breakfast every morning."

"And she'd probably name your child Ryoma-sama."

Ryoma paused. "Well, I actually wouldn't mind that."

Sakuno groaned, taking the pillow next to her and throwing it at Ryoma's face. After spending years with him, she was much more comfortable messing around with him. He smirked softly, hugging the pillow to his chest. "Really, I'm glad I married you."

"Why?" Sakuno asked sweetly, waiting for the 'Because you're so beautiful,' and 'I love you so much' to come.

"Well, ya know, Tomo-chan talks too much."

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**XXX**


	21. Under

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**Under**

**XXX**

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Honestly, it was kind of embarrassing.

Ryoma looked down at his girlfriend sheepishly, feeling humiliated beyond belief. His head rested on hers as he played with her hair, but he couldn't really think straight. His face felt hot and he couldn't bear to look at Sakuno.

"This is kind of funny, Ryoma-kun." She said, her eyes flitting above her so she could meet his eyes.

He looked away.

He didn't know _why_ Sakuno had to have a growth spurt, but it left him feeling short, unsatisfied, and utterly embarrassed.

Which was kind of why he was standing on a stool, Sakuno underneath him so he could feel like a man.

* * *

**XXX**


	22. Vicious

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**Vicious**

**XXX**

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Sakuno was a very sweet, innocent girl. She could never do a thing to hurt someone. She was as pure as sugar. As nice as the feeling of a soft new blanket. As innocent as a little child. As sweet as a giant lollipop.

_Sakuno may act all sweet and cute and harmless…_

Ryoma panted, sweat trailing down the side of his face. His face was flushed, his breathing hard as he shifted. His heart pounded in his ears.

_But she was vicious in bed._

* * *

**XXX**


	23. War

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**War**

**XXX**

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"No. No, _absolutely _not."

Ryoma frowned, pursing his lips. "C'mon, I don't see what the problem is."

Sakuno had her hands on her hips, long brown hair swishing as she met Ryoma's challenging eyes. Maybe she used to stutter and shake around him, but after years of getting to know him, she knew exactly how to use her women-power and take him down. "We're not doing something as absurd as that."

Ryoma blinked. "It's not absurd. It's perfectly normal."

"No, it's not normal. Ask _any _parent."

"But he'll be _fine._"

Sakuno's mouth dropped open. "Are you stupid? What you're suggesting is absolutely crazy."

"It's not crazy." Ryoma said calmly. "I think it's a great idea."

She narrowed her eyes, clenching her fist and stomping her foot. Her eyes were aflame. _This was war. _"Ryoma-kun," she pronounced each syllable slowly. "We are _not_ sending our four-year old to the US Open tryouts."

"Not the _US Open._" Ryoma shook his head fiercely. " I'm talking about _Wimbledon."_

And Sakuno attacked him.

* * *

**XXX**


	24. Xeric

**XXX**

**Xeric**

**XXX**

* * *

For the sole purpose of hurting her, Ryoma spat out words he never meant- rude, harsh, hurtful words. He wasn't sure why he had. Maybe because of what she had done, hurting him. He wanted her to feel the hurt back, so he decided to use his speech to his advantage.

He didn't stop talking, even when her shoulders started to rise up and down as she cried. Even when her knees buckled and sobs wracked her entire body. Even when she begged him to stop.

He continued to speak, wallowing out words he never meant. When he was done, she was in a puddle of tears, leaving his mouth feeling utterly xeric.

"That's all." He swallowed thickly, his mouth dry. Without apologizing, he walked away, knowing he would regret everything he said for the rest of his life.

* * *

**XXX**


	25. Yawn

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**Yawn**

**XXX**

* * *

Unlike Tomo-chan, Sakuno knew when to stop talking. She and Ryoma had developed a secret signal that made sure that he didn't get utterly bored during their conversations and she didn't feel embarrassed afterwards for talking too much. It was simple really, but subtle and perfect enough to work. A yawn.

Ryoma would yawn, and Sakuno would know that she was to stop talking.

"It was really exciting." Sakuno twirled a strand of her hair, her brown eyes glinting in the sunlight. "I mean, I _finally _did it, you know. I've been working on my backhand forever, but I kept falling or missing, but I think I'm getting better. Like, I'm actually getting the hang of it."

Ryoma nodded slightly, sipping his Ponta.

"Tennis is really fun when you get better at it." Sakuno sighed wistfully. "I wish I was as good as you, not that I ever could be. But it must be fun being able to do all those cool tricks."

Ryoma took another swallow of his fizzy purple pop. "Hm."

"And I really think it's really cool, Drive B. When you first did it," she laughed gently. "I was shocked. Not every person does a tennis move by sliding on the court."

Ryoma yawned. "Yeah."

Sakuno bit her lip, shutting her mouth. She pulled her knees to her chest uncomfortably.

Ryoma blinked. "Uh, you're done talking?"

Sakuno glanced up, surprised. "Well, um, you yawned."

Ryoma blinked again. Oh, _right._ He'd forgotten about that. He could hold his pride and pretend that was exactly the reason he had yawned, not because he was sleepy as hell from watching a late night movie with Momoshiro. But he kind of wanted her to keep talking – lately, her voice was really comforting. He wasn't sure why, but it made him happy.

So he smiled and said, "Che, I'm just tired. So, what were you saying again?"

* * *

**XXX**


	26. Zone

**XXX**

**Zone**

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* * *

Ryoma was frustrated. His legs and arms ached as he ran back and forth, pushing himself, and attempting to beat his captain. His racket barely hit the next ball, and to his growing irritation, the vibrant sphere bounced to exactly where Tezuka was standing.

The Tezuka zone – his fingers tightened around his racket. It was _so _unnerving to try to beat. It was nearly impossible. Ryoma knew that mentality was important in a match, and if he started to panic, Tezuka would crush him more than he already was.

Ryoma grunted, sliding on the ground as he returned a fast ball. The ball cleanly went straight at Tezuka, who, with his stoic face, sent it flying right back.

_What was he supposed to do?_

Sakuno watched the match, her hands bunched around her sweater, shivering. She wanted Ryoma to win. She hated when he lost. Her hands trembled as the match continued. If it wasn't for the Tezuka Zone, maybe Ryoma would actually have a chance to _do _something.

But as far as she knew, the only way to break the Tezuka Zone was for the captain to lose concentration.

_How to break his concentration? _

Ryoma bounded forward as another ball hit the baseline.

Sakuno squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself. A moment later, her voice filled the courts.

"RYOMA-KUN, WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME?"

Tezuka glanced to the side in surprise where Sakuno had bellowed her voice out. Ryoma didn't even flinch as he returned the ball.

It whizzed right past the net and deep into the corner of the court. A point.

Ryoma smirked.

_Tezuka Zone, sealed._

* * *

**XXX**


End file.
